Dozens rescued after becoming stranded on broken ice on Lake Michigan

The US Coast Guard and several other agencies rescued more than 60 people who were stranded on Lake Michigan on Thursday, after the ice they were standing on broke.

In a statement, authorities in Traverse City said more than 60 people became stranded when cracks appeared in the ice, which broke away as they fished on Lake Michigan.

A combination of high winds and an incoming storm system allowed the ice floes to break off from the shore of Sturgeon Bay, in northeastern Wisconsin, stranding the people who were fishing.

According to authorities, “Ice continued to crack into smaller sections throughout the crews' time on scene" of the rescue, which took four hours to complete.